Clocks
by MissJakieFlip
Summary: HP/GW, HG/RW. Everyone has clocks, not all of them work. ONESHOT.


**Time clock AU, Café AU, HP based. HP/GW & RW/HG. I've altered time lines so that Rose Weasley is born 3 years earlier than stated in JK Rowling's Epilogue.**

Of course Harry knew of Ginny, how could he not? Ron's sister, youngest of six older brothers, but of course when you have six older brothers, you know that meeting anyone outside of the 'approved' brother spectrum is next to none.

Especially, if, lets say it were to be a certain 'Boy who lived'. Now, Harry and Ron had always been friends, and sure Harry had caught few glimpses of Ginny in and around Hogwarts and at the Burrow but as of yet he had never spoken more than 'Hello' and 'How are you?', which in turn would always be replied with 'Fine' and a curt nod before doing whatever else it was she had to do.

What poor Harry at the time didn't know was that his time with Ginny, Ron and Hermione was going to come to a quick and final end.

Everyone in the world had a clock, a clock that read their names, age, time until meeting their significant other and time until death. Think of it as a muggle digital watch that has more than one setting, if significant other is somehow harmed or you, yourself is harmed, sometimes the clock can change.

This is very rare.

What he didn't know, and what many choose to keep to themselves out of sheer courtesy is that his clock remained at 00:00, on both accounts.

That is until the very day of Harry's introduction into the magical world. Of course aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon were shocked to say the least when a half-giant knocked down their door.

However despite their initial hatred and anger, Petunia saw an odd thing which she had not seen before in the boy who lived.

Numbers, counting down, not till time of death, which still remained stationary, but of the time of his meeting with his significant other.

Petunia quickly then looked in horror at her son and his newly acquired pig tail and quickly forgot about her new discovery, and by the time Harry Potter came home for the summer his numbers were once again stationary. Petunia had no cause for doubt in her mind.

So when, many years after the death of Voldemort, and many years after the Granger-Weasley wedding, which must be mentioned happened a whole three months later!

Ginny, came into contact with Harry, in the most unlikely of ways.

'Hey, there what can I get for you?' Harry asked, grappling for a pen on the countertop, busily writing down another order, before grimacing, ripping the paper off of its pad and sticking it on the wall behind him.

'Hi, can I get a double espresso shot and a pain au chocolat?' A lady's voice answered, in a frustrated, if not desperate fashion.

Harry looked up at the woman, shocking himself into silence at what he saw.

Ginny.

She was a year younger, yet looked as much a teen as she did when he left Hogwarts six years ago. At 23, this was bound to be true. Harry had to remind himself once again that he was no middle aged man, despite the crackling of his bones and his friends impeding pregnancy.

Harry, once again, ponders his decision to leave the magical world, but is impolitely interrupted by the 'grown' woman's squeal.

'Harry?!' Ginny looks flustered as she plucks hair behind her head, smoothing it down in the process.

'Where on earth, have you been?' She scolds, raising her voice not unlike her own mother.

A throat clears behind her, and I quickly excuse myself, throwing my apron on the countertop before pulling Ginny aside.

'James, handle the customers please!' Harry hollers in the general direction of the kitchen.

Harry then nods quickly before raising his hand, itching his forehead and running his hand over his faded scar before focusing intently on the redhead before him.

'Ginny, what are you doing here?' Harry asks delicately, careful not to arouse suspicion as he leads the pair to a vacant table.

'I could ask you the same thing!' She replies indignantly, before raising an eyebrow looking above him.

Harry of course knows what she's looking at, Ron told him back in third year that he had no clock. He supposed that maybe its easier not knowing when you were going to die, Ron begrudgingly agreed with him.

It wasn't until after Harry killed Voldemort that he knew this wasn't the case. Harry knew he was supposed to die when he was a baby, Harry knew he had somehow cheated death. And despite the reasoning's that his mothers love had been what saved him, it had also immortalised him.

When Harry killed Voldemort, he had ruined his chance at death and freedom but gave opportunity to everyone else at life.

Harry frowned at the thought before answering.

'I guess it was fate.' Harry's lame attempt at humour garnered a smirk from the bold red head.

The two continued bouncing off each other for some time during that one afternoon in the middle of Harry's café, in a small town off the edge of London. It was a spark they had never encountered before that led them to having a yearning to know anything and everything about it each other.

You could ask anyone who knew Harry or Ginny well and you could say they were different people after that moment.

Ginny, without fail, every Thursday at ten fifteen in the morning, would ask for a double espresso and pain au chocolat, then spend an hour talking and flirting with the dark haired man wiping down tables.

Harry could ponder many reasons why Ron and his brothers didn't want Harry seeing Ginny and agreed on most parts, however whenever he saw that beautiful smile, he reminded himself, that maybe it wouldn't be so bad living on the small pleasures life had to offer.

Harry also could also see the clock above Ginevra's head, it was anything but subtle.

He was curious to see that her 'significant other' clock had ran out, but was more worried to notice that he 'life' clock had but 20 days left.

So, at 20 days, Harry said to his Ginny. 'Why don't we go out some time?'

She was surprised but replied with a resounding 'Yes! About time, you blithering idiot.'

At 19 days, Ginny walked into the café in a fitted blue dress that cut off to the knees and Harry felt all the air leave his lungs.

At 18 days, Harry kissed Ginny for the first time. Ginny smiled brightly before blushing profusely all the way up to her ear tips. She stayed the night.

At 17 days, Harry sat in his room, above the café, looking at the lying figure in his bed and soundlessly started to cry.

At 16 days, Harry realised why Ginny's significant others clock was at 00:00.

At 15 days, He realised why his was too.

At 14 days, a confident Ginny burst into the café with a ring in her hand demanding that Harry propose.

'Ginny, you do realise that this is life long commitment?' Harry asks, looking away once more from her ticking clock which was cast over his brain like a bomb waiting to explode.

Still, he wanted her to believe and hope.

At 13 days, Ginny decided she was going to move in, Harry knew this because he woke up to her stuff scattered all over his apartment. All he could do was smile.

At 12 days, Ginny started complaining about her mums obsession with having the wedding soon. Harry felt bad for the poor mother.

At 11 days, Harry woke up at 4am, looked over to his right, saw the sleeping figure and couldn't help but wonder how and why.

At 10 days, Harry was a bag of nerves. Ginny put it down to early wedding jitters.

At 9 days, Harry and Ginny were married. Ron was angry, as to be expected, but by the end of the night could only share sorrow with the poor man who was to have the love of his life ripped away from him in little over a week.

At 8 days, Ron called Harry up on the phone and apologised profusely for not letting Harry be with Ginny sooner. Harry quickly forgave him, and promised himself to not feel sad whilst she was still around.

At 7 days, Ginny said she knew. She didn't tell Harry how, but just took him by the hand smiling softly.

At 6 days, Ron and Hermione came over with newly born Rose Weasley. Ginny almost forgot about her imminent death, for a few hours at least. Harry only watched on as he thought about life without the rambunctious ginger.

At 5 days, Ginny begged Harry to let her know what day it was, he complied.

At 4 days, Ginny went to a beauty spa with Hermione so she could talk her day away with a woman she could trust. Harry spent his day with Ron and Rosie, talking random nonsense just to fill the sombre silence.

At 3 days, Ginny locked herself in the bedroom and demanded privacy. Harry slept on the sofa that night.

At 2 days, Molly and the whole brood came to visit the small café, everyone was laughing and smiling. Ginny held onto Harry's hand the entire time.

At 1 day, Ginny asked Harry why his clock was at 00:00. He told her it was because he cheated death. She tried to pry further but ultimately just laid there content with her head listening to her husbands heartbeat.

On the final day, Ginny promised not to shed a tear and Harry promised to at least try and be happy.

'How long left?' Ginny asks as the couple walk up a hill to a tree that reminds them of each other, it was strong yet whimsical in looks.

Harry was strong whilst Ginny feigned ignorance.

'That would ruin the surprise.' Harry murmured, another failed attempt at humour.

All the same Ginny laughed.

They sat in silence for what seemed an eternity, both listening to the sounds of their breathing and the movement of the grass against the light wind.

As much as Harry despised it, her clock was engraved on the mind, he knew there was nothing he could do or say to make things easier.

So the silence continued.

They finally decided to leave the tree at sundown, much to Harry's protest, he believed earnestly that maybe if they could just sit there until the time had passed, that maybe she would be ok, safe in his arms.

But ever the valiant woman, Ginny rebuked 'I don't need you to protect me, Harry.'

She was smiling, she had promised she wouldn't cry, and she didn't not till the last second when she turned her back away from the pavement, somehow she knew this was where she would die.

She looked up whispered 'I love you, Harry.' A singular tear ran down her face before she stepped back as a car came and hit her with a loud crack.

It was all in slow motion for Harry, he could see the driver now, talking into his phone, not noticing the people crossing, speeding up through the quiet town, completely and blissfully unaware of the crime he would commit, and the guilt that would follow.

Harry could see, Ginny's trustful glance at the car before gracefully letting go of Harry's hand as Harry screams out to anyone who could hear, his painful cry of loss.

It was at that moment she understood, the split second between life and death. She would never see Harry again.

For if there is death and there is life, and there is a person who has cheated this line, death would cheat him back.

'For none shall live while the other survives.'

Harry's clock lives on in perpetual limbo, as does his body and mind.

**Authors note:**

**Sorry if this seems completely OC, but it was an idea I simply couldn't get out of my head. And I didn't exactly want to write a full novel, so we got to this!**

**I hope you liked it either way, and didn't kill you inside as much as it did me!**


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